



Class 
Book 



Author _____ 



Title 



Imprint 




BROCKPORT 
State Normal School 



QUARTER CENTENNIAL. 
June, 1892. 



3 






PREFACE 



The accompanying historical account was compiled by 
Daniel Holmes, Esq., who, since its organization, has been 
a member and the Secretary of the State Normal School, at 
Brockport, N. Y. It was read by him on the occasion of 
the celebration of the Quarter Centennial of the school, June 
22, 1892, at which time addresses were delivered by Princi- 
pal Charles D. McLean, Dr. Malcolm McVicar and Rev. 
Benjamin O. True, D. D. 

For the great amount of research required ; the careful, 
painstaking examination of innumerable references ; the col- 
lating of facts and statistics ; the discriminating judgment 
which so readily determined the rejection of unnecessary 
items and the selection of such portions as were worthy of 
preservation, the author is justly entitled to the highest 
meed of praise. The result attained clearly proves that the 
reference of the author to Macaulay in the opening pages of 
the article should be sufficiently modified as to imply that if 
that great historian was not already acquainted with the 
author of this contribution to literature, he certainly would 
have been delighted to have added his name to the list of 
his compeers. 

This history supplies a necessity long felt by those inter- 
ested in the school. It contains in a succinct form a com- 
prehensive record of its inception and its growth. It tells 
of its instructors, its managers and the many graduates who 
are now filling honored positions in the world's busy field of 
progress. Here are recorded the hopes that turned to joy 
and the fears that darkened. Here are preserved the recol- 
lections of the living and here are embalmed the memories 
of the dead. Here are finally gathered together from many 
sources, and with an expenditure of time and labor almost 
inconceivable, this accurate, interesting and complete his- 
tory of the Brockport Normal School, and by no one could 
the work have been performed so well and so satisfactorily 
as by its able and esteemed compiler. 

t John H. Kingsbury. 

September 1, 1892. 



1867-1892. 

The Brockport Normal 
historical. 

Quarter Centennial. June 22, 1892. 



MACAULAY commences one of his essays with the fol- 
lowing words : " To write history respectably, — that is, 
to abbreviate despatches, and make extracts from speeches; 
to intersperse in due proportion epithets of praise and 
abhorrence, to draw up antithetical characters of great men, 
setting forth how many contradictory virtues and vices they 
united, and abounding in withs and withouts, — all this is very 
easy. But to be really a great historian is perhaps the 
rareist of intellectual distinctions." And further on, he adds : 
" But we are acquainted with no history which approaches 
to our notion of what a history ought to be, — with no his- 
tory which does not widely depart, either on the right hand 
or on the left, from the exact line." 

It is needless to say that Macaulay was not acquainted 
with the historian of the Brockport Normal. Not that I 
propose to give you a great history; that would be beyond 
my province ; nor yet, to give you a disquisition upon the 
true Philosophy of History ; that more appropriately belongs 
to the essay or oration of the graduate. These great topics 
I shall leave for each of you to wrestle with as best you can. 
The humbler task shall be mine to recount with such words 
as I may, the rise and subsequent history of this institution. 

The immediate progenitor of the Brockport State Normal 
School was the Brockport Collegiate Institute, an Academy 
organized in the year 1841. Prior to this it had been 
designed to found a college, to be located on these grounds, 
and from this the Academy received the popular designa- 
tion of the " College," and to this day the Normal School 



is frequently spoken of by the older citizens as the " Col- 
lege," and the name is perpetuated in the street leading 
to it. The Collegiate Institute was for years the pride 
of the village ; it flourished with various degrees of suc- 
cess ; it was always a good school and well conducted, 
but financially it rarely afforded an adequate support to its 
managers. In 1866 it was practically bankrupt. Its real 
estate was mortgaged to the extent of $10,000, and there was 
no money to pay it with. It had been sold on an execution 
by the sheriff, and it seemed then that the school must be 
abandoned, for it was useless to ask the people to lift the 
debt by subscription, and no other adequate means were 
suggested. 

At this time the Legislature passed the act establishing 
the new Normal Schools, authorizing proposals to be 
received by the commission appointed for that purpose 
from the corporate authorities of any village, or from the 
Board of Trustees of any academy, for their establishment. 
The trustees of the Collegiate Institute at once resolved to 
avail themselves of this privilege, and in conjunction with 
the village authorities they presented the subject to the peo- 
ple for their consideration. The proposition was for the 
village to raise by taxation a sufficient sum, about $50,000, 
to pay off the incumbrances, and to enlarge the buildings by 
•erecting wings to the same and to present it to the State for 
the purposes of a Normal School. The subject was thor- 
oughly discussed in all its bearings, and a bitter contest 
raged during the entire season. The friends of the school 
were ardent, enthusiastic, wide-awake, and thoroughly in 
earnest. Under the able leadership of Prof. McVicar, at that 
time the Principal of the School, every effort was made to 
convince the people of the expediency of the proposed meas- 
ure. It was submitted to the taxpayers for their votes, and 
carried by a handsome majority. The proposals were 
approved at Albany, and on the 20th of March, 1867, the 
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Hon. Victor M. Rice, 
appointed the following Local Board for the immediate 
management of the school, viz ; Dr. M. B. Anderson, Hon. 



Jerome Fuller, Thomas Cornes, Henry W. Seymour, Augus- 
tus F. Brainerd, Byron E. Huntley, Daniel Holmes, Elipha- 
let Whitney, John A. Latta, Timothy Frye, J. Durward 
Decker, Joseph A. Tozier and Elijah C. Chriswell. This 
board immediately organized and elected the following per- 
manent officers, viz : Jerome Fuller, President, Eliphalet 
Whitney, Vice President, Daniel Holmes, Secretary, and 
J. D. Decker, Treasurer. As originally organized the board 
consisted of thirteen members. In 1871 the number was 
reduced by an act of the legislature to nine, and in 1872 by 
a like act two more were added, leaving the number eleven,, 
which has continued to the present time. Of the original 
members four still remain in the board, Messrs. Whitney, 
Tozier, Chriswell and the Secretary. Others have been 
appointed as follows: May 6, 1872, Dr. A. N. Braman; 
April 27, 1874, Dayton S. Morgan, in place of H. W. Sey- 
mour, resigned; Sept. 19, 1878, George H. Allen, in place of 
A. F. Brainerd, resigned; Oct., 1880, J. H. Kingsbury, in 
place of judge Fuller, deceased; Jan. 24, 1885, Edgar Bene- 
dict, in place of Dr. A. N. Braman, resigned; Oct., 1888, 
John D. Burns, in place of Dr. Anderson, resigned; Jan. 17, 
1891, Henry S. Madden, in place of D. S. Morgan, deceased ; 
Dec. 1st, 1891, Henry Harrison, in place of J. D. Decker,, 
deceased. Judge Fuller remained the President of the 
board till his decease, when Dayton S. Morgan was elected 
in his place. On the death of Mr. Morgan, George H. Allen 
was elected and is now President of the board. April 30, 
1888, Mr. Kingsbury was elected Treasurer in place of Mr. 
Decker, resigned. Mr. J. A. Latta died Oct. 11, 1891. No 
other changes have taken place in the membership of the 
Local Board. 

There are no remarkable events standing out in the history 
of the board. It has been said that " Blessed are the people 
who have no annals." We may apply that to ourselves ; for 
if uniform prosperity gives the historian nothing to say about 
a people, the people may well be content to have no history.. 
We do not crave a notoriety which springs from troublous 
times. In the 25 years of our official experience we have 



5 

Tiad nothing more exciting than the determination of the 
claims of rival candidates for positions in. the school. Our 
duties have been mainly financial in their character, and but 
rarely have we been called upon to interfere in matters of 
discipline. Fortunately Normal scholars, as a class, are gen- 
tlemen and ladies, who neither need nor require our assist- 
ance, and if on one late memorable occasion it has been 
found necessary for a committee of the board to come up 
here in a body to find out what was going on, that circum- 
stance, from its very rarity, forms an event exceptional in 
its nature and of a character not likely to be repeated. The 
occurrence is too recent to require any extended remark 
from me. 

But I must remember that lam a historian, not a moralist ; 
and to return to legitimate jSTormal history, it seems proper 
now to relate briefly the changes which have occurred in the 
corps of instructors. At the first meeting of the Local Board, 
March 22, 1867, Prof. Malcolm McVicar was elected Princi- 
pal; Prof. C. D. McLean, Mathematics; Prof. Oliver Arey, 
Natural Sciences ; Mrs. H. E. G. Arey, Preceptress ; and the 
following Assistants : Miss Sarah M. Effner, Miss Lucy A. 
Mead and Miss Helen Roby, and in the Training School the 
following: Principal, not appointed ; Assistant, Miss Lucena 
J. Grant ; Object Teacher, Miss Sarah M. Haskell ; Vocal 
Music, Miss Elizabeth S. Richmond ; Drawing, Miss Martha 
Stark; Instrumental Music, Mrs. Fidelia Ailing (now Mrs. 
Merritt); April 8, 1867, W. J. Milne was chosen Principal of 
the Academic Department and Professor of Ancient Lan- 
guages, and on July 12, Miss M. J. Thompson was elected 
Teacher of Primary Department ; and Miss C. M. Chriswell, 
Teacher in Academic Department. These then constituted 
our whole faculty for the first year, and of this number there 
remain with us still Prof. McLean, Miss Effner, Miss Thomp- 
son, Miss Richmond, Mrs. Merritt and Miss Chriswell. 

The changes and additions which have since occurred are 
as follows : Mere statistics, I know, are uninteresting, and 
much of my " History " must be statistical, but accuracy 
compels me at least to mention the names and dates : Dec. 



31, 1867, Prof. James H. Hoose was appointed Professor of 
Natural Sciences, in place of Prof. Arey, resigned ; Feb. 21, 

1868, Miss Sarah L. Kinne was appointed Teacher of Read, 
ing and Elocution; April 10, 1868, Miss Clara Rob} 7 was- 
appointed Critic in the Intermediate Department, in place 
of Miss Grant, resigned; April 15, 1868, Mrs. W. C. Sylla 
succeeded Mrs. Arey as Preceptress ; June 29, 1868, Charles. 
B. Fairchild was appointed Teacher in the Commercial De- 
partment ; same date, R. J. Gordon, Teacher of Penmanship ; 
Aug. 1, 1868, Francis B. Palmer assumed the Principalship 
of the Training Department; Aug. 11, 1868, H. G. Burlin- 
game took the chair of Mathematics in place of Prof. Mc- 
Lean, who was promoted to the Principalship in place of 
Prof. Mc Vicar, resigned; Sept. 29, 1869, Miss Belle Randall 
became Teacher of Drawing; Jan. 4, 1869, Mrs. Mary A. 
Cady, Critic in place of Miss Haskell, resigned; Sept. 15,. 

1869, Miss F. C. Barnett, Drawing and Painting in place of 
Miss Randall, resigned; Sept. 15, 1869, W. H. Lennon, Pro- 
fessor of Natural Sciences in place of Prof. Hoose, resigned ; 
Jan. 7, 1 87 1, Miss Eliza J. Gates (now Mrs. W. J. Milne) First. 
Assistant in Academic Department; Sept. 4, 1871, James- 
Knox, Mathematics and Commercial Department; Sept. 4, 
1871, Miss Nellie L. Jones (subsequently Mrs. Knox, and 
later Mrs. Heath), Critic and Methods; Sept. 4, 1871, Miss- 
J. E. Lowery, Assistant in Mathematics and Latin, in place 
of Miss Helen Roby, resigned; Sept. 4, J 871, Prof. Palmer 
appointed Professor of Ancient Languages and Vice-Princi- 
pal in place of Prof. Milne, resigned; Nov. 6, 1871, Miss E. 
M. Johnson (now Mrs. Joseph O'Connor), First Assistant in 
Academic Department in place of Miss Gates, resigned ; 
Nov. 6, 1 87 1, Miss Kate S. Brennan, Critic in Primary De- 
partment; Feb. 3, 1873, T. E. Burlingame, Teacher of Mathe- 
matics in place of Mr. Knox, resigned; July 28, 1873, Mi ss 
Alice E. Braman, Critic in Primary Department in place of 
Miss Brennan, resigned; July 28, 1873, Miss Harriet Gillette 
(now Mrs. H. W. Seymour), Critic in Intermediate Depart- 
ment in place of Mrs. Cad) 7 , promoted; July 27, 1874, Miss 
Stella M. Harris (now Mrs. A. T. Wells), Critic in Pri- 



mary Department in place of Miss Braman, promoted to 
Principalship of Primary Department; July 2, 1874, Miss 
Gillette promoted Principal of Intermediate Department in 
place of Miss Clara Roby, resigned; Nov. 13, 1877, Miss 
Flora C. Wilsea, First Assistant in Academic Department in 
place of Miss Johnson, resigned ; Nov. 4, 1878, J. F. Forbes, 
Professor of Latin and Greek in place of Prof. Palmer, re- 
signed; June 16, 1880, Miss Mary P. Rhoades, Preceptress in 
place of Mrs. Sylla, resigned; July 6, 1880, Mrs. R. A. 
Palmer, Critic in Primary Department in place of Miss Har- 
ris, resigned; March 13, 1882, Henry Pease appointed tem- 
porarily to the chair of Mathematics; Aug. 14, 1882, Robert 
Simpson, Jr., Principal of Academic Department; July 10, 
1883, Mrs. Stella M. Cottrel (formerly Miss Harris) re- 
appointed Critic in Primary Department; July 7, 1884, -Ar- 
thur Tooley, Principal of Academic Department ; Aug. 6, 
1885, Mrs. Cottrell appointed Principal of Primary Depart- 
ment in place of Miss Braman, resigned, and Mrs. Louise C. 
Williams, Critic in place of Mrs. Cottrell, promoted; Aug. 
27, 1885, Charles D. Seely, Professor of Latin and Greek in 
place of Prof. Forbes, resigned, and Miss Mary H. Morse, 
Teacher of Drawing and Painting in place of Miss Barnett, 
resigned; Feb. 2, 1886, Miss Alice M. Atwater, Teacher of 
the same in place of Miss Mason, resigned; Aug. 21, 1886, 
Miss Ellen F. Mason, Principal of Primary Department in 
place of Mrs. Cottrell, resigned; Sept. 24, 1888, Miss Eme- 
line A. Dunn, Teacher of Drawing in place of Miss Atwater, 
resigned; July 28, 1890, Charles W. Smith, Mathematics 
temporarily, in place of Prof. Burlingame, granted leave of 
absence on account of ill health. On the death of Prof. Bur- 
lingame Prof. Smith was elected permanent Professor of 
Mathematics; at the same date, July 28, 1890, Miss Bertha 
H. Coleman was elected Teacher of Drawing, in place of 
Miss Gilmour, who had been acting temporarily for Miss 
Dunn, and Miss Dunn's resignation was accepted ; Aug. 8, 
1890, Miss Clara J. Brown was elected Teacher of Physical 
Culture and Elocution and assistant to the Preceptress ; July 
6, 1 891, Mrs. Louise C. Williams was promoted to the Prin- 



cipalship of the Primary Department in place of Miss Mason, 
resigned, and Miss L. Virginia Chappell was elected Critic 
in the Primary Department in place of Mrs. Williams, pro- 
moted. This constitutes the sum total of the changes in the 
corps of instructors for the 25 years now concluded. 

The following are the Faculty as at present composed : 
Prof. C. D. McLean, Principal ; W H. Lennon, Vice-Princi- 
pal and Professor of Natural Sciences ; Charles D. Seely, 
Ancient Languages ; Charles W. Smith, Mathematics ; Miss 
Mary P. Rhoades, Preceptress ; Miss C. M. Chriswell, Gram- 
mar ; Miss J. E. Low T ery, Mathematics and Latin ; Miss M. J. 
Thompson, Methods ; Miss Clara J. Brown, Physical Culture 
and Elocution ; Mrs. M. A. Cady, Principal in Intermediate 
Department; Miss E. S. Richmond, Vocal Music and Read- 
ing ; Mrs. Louise C. Williams, Principal of Primary Depart- 
ment ; Miss S. M. Effner, History and Geography ; Miss Mary 
O. White, Critic in Intermediate Department ; Miss L. V- 
Chappell, Critic in Primary Department; Miss Bertha H. 
Coleman, Drawing; Prof. Arthur Tooley, Principal Aca- 
demic Department ; Miss F. C. Willsea, Assistant in Aca- 
demic Department and Teacher of German; and Mrs. F. C. 
Merritt, Teacher of Instrumental Music. 

In reading over this list it occurs to me that Brockport 
has one cause of congratulation which probably no other 
school in the State can boast of, that is in the number of 
teachers we have furnished directly to the other Normal 
Schools of the State, as the following will show : Dr. Mc- 
Vicar, our first Principal, assumed a similar position at the 
Potsdam Normal School ; Dr. Wm. J. Milne, our first Profes- 
sor of Ancient Languages, was transferred to the Principal- 
ship of the Geneseo Normal School, and later to that of the 
Albany Normal College ; Dr. John M. Milne, an alumnus of 
this school of the class of 1 871, is now Principal of the Gen- 
eseo Normal School ; Dr. F. B. Palmer, Professor of Ancient 
Languages and Vice-Principal here, is now Principal of the 
Fredonia Normal School ; Prof. James H. Hoose, Professor 
of Natural Sciences here, became Principal of the Cortland 
Normal School ; Frank S. Capen, of the class of 1864 here, is 



now Principal of the New Paltz Normal School ; James M. 
Milne, of the class of 1872, is now Principal of the Oneonta 
Normal School ; Miss Helen Roby, Teacher of Mathematics 
here, became Preceptress at the Geneseo Normal School; 
Miss Lucy A. Mead, one of our first Assistants, assumed a 
similar position in the Potsdam Normal School ; Miss Gloria 
Bennett, of the class of 1872, became a teacher in the Gen- 
eseo Normal School ; Andrew G. Freeman, of the class of 
1873, is Principal of the Practicing Department in the Fre- 
donia Normal School ; Miss Thankful M. Knight, of the class 
of 1875, is Preceptress in the Plattsburg Normal School; 
Miss Jessie E. Hillman, of the class of 1878, is Principal of 
the Musical Department of the Fredonia Normal School ; 
and possibly there are others whose names I do not know. 
We still claim them all, and the more honors they get abroad 
the more it redounds to our credit. They cannot well help 
themselves, and we are glad to receive such honors at their 
hands. As the pioneer school of those established under the 
law of 1866, we are entitled to this credit, and we shall not 
forego any of our claims by reason of excessive modesty. 

Thus far, in the order of precedence, I have taken the 
Local Board first, the Faculty second, and was proposing to 
take the Alumni third. Perhaps this order ought to have 
been reversed, but what is written is written. Since our or- 
ganization we have graduated 614 pupils from the Normal 
School. What has been their success, and what position 
have they taken in the teacher's world? The answer to this 
question will go far towards showing whether the Normal 
Schools are worth what they cost. It is not many years since 
an onslaught was made in the Legislature against the whole 
system of State patronage for the Normal Schools, on the 
ground that they were not fulfilling the predictions made for 
them. The accusation was confidently made that local com- 
munities were using the Normal Schools for the purpose of 
giving a free education to their sons and daughters, w r ith no 
intenton their part to fulfill their implied obligation by teach- 
ing in the public schools of the State ; that they simply meant 
to get their education for nothing, and that they were doing 



10 

it. No one denied the duty of the State to educate its chil- 
dren, as a mere matter of self-preservation, but it was con- 
tended that that duty was fulfilled by a rudimentary educa- 
tion limited to the three R's, and that the higher education 
of the Academy and the College was meant for those who 
chose to pay for it. Happily this doctrine did not prevail.. 
The State had taken upon itself to educate teachers, and 
what the State undertakes it generally carries through.. 
From our own experience we know that the pecuniary 
means have been freely and generously granted in every 
particular where we have asked for it. We have no return 
to make ; we are entirely dependent upon our graduates to 
pay our debt, and have they paid it ? Have they taught with 
credit in the public schools of the State, so as fairly to carry 
out the pledge they make when they commence their pupil- 
age? That pledge, to be sure, is not iron-clad nor stringent ;. 
the pupil simply declares that it is his " intention to devote 
himself to the business of teaching the schools of this State r 
and that his object in resorting to this Normal School is the 
better to prepare himself for that important duty," or, as 
amended within the last year, " In consideration of receiving 
free tuition in a State Normal School, I hereby obligate my- 
self to teach in the schools of the State." It is left to the 
conscience of the pupil to determine how long he must teach 
to fulfill this obligation, and if he declines to fulfill it alto- 
gether there is no penalty, further than what his own con- 
science inflicts. Now, practically, what has our school done ? 

I am glad to say that of our graduates — and we keep track 
of them and know what they are doing — only 19 have de- 
clined to teach at all, and we have 614 in number. Of these, 

I I were ladies, of whom five for good and sufficient reasons 
have never taught in the public schools ot this State. For 
these we have no word of censure, and we shall cheerfully 
give our consent to any and all of the young ladies of this 
school to neglect to teach whenever they fulfill a woman's 
higher mission by becoming the happy wives of worthy men. 
The other six presumably had sufficient reasons ; some, we 
know, failed to obtain situations without any fault of theirs, 



II 

and others doubtless had reasons of their own which we do 
not care to criticise. Of the eight gentlemen, four never 
taught for reasons unknown to us, and four, whose names I 
could give, but will refrain — evidently never intended to 
teach, and came here simply to get their education free. 
This may be smart, but it is not honest. Do not misunder- 
stand me. My criticism is intended only for those who come 
here with the preconceived intention of never teaching. Ex- 
cuses for not teaching may be manifold, and these are be- 
yond the scope of animadversion. But of the others not one 
of them ever thought it incumbent on him to make a return 
for that education ; and right here let me ask, how many 
would think it necessary to offer to pay for their tuition in 
case unexpected circumstances should render teaching un- 
necessary or undesirable ? Very few ; but we have the unique 
experience of having had the return made to us in one in- 
stance, which I think deserves a public and honorable men- 
tion. Mr. Benjamin F. Thomas, of the class of 1878, find- 
ing that changed circumstances did not require him to teach, 
voluntarily repaid to the Local Board the cost of his tuition, 
at Academic rates, amounting to the sum of $270. I doubt 
if any other Normal School in the State has a similar experi- 
ence. 

I am also informed that one other pupil (a lady) has volun- 
tarily made inquiries as to the cost of her education, with a 
view of making restitution, though as yet the fact has not 
been officially brought to the attention of the Board. This 
shows that there is a feeling in the minds of pupils that they 
do owe something to the State for their education, and this 
feeling is a proper one to exist. Tuition under able and 
competent instructors, and the use of text books free, are 
worth some return. It costs the State a good deal of money 
to carry on her Normal Schools. For our ordinary expenses 
we are now receiving $20,000 per annum, to say nothing of 
the sums received for permanent improvements, and it is not 
strange that taxpayers, out of whom the money comes, should 
ask what are you doing with it, and you must answer. 

But to resume the thread of my remarks : Every gradu- 



12 

ate of this school, with the above exceptions, has performed 
his obligation by teaching more or less. The average of the 
time spent in teaching will amount to a trifle over six years 
for each pupil, and this estimate includes those of recent 
years. Of the earlier graduates, one or two illustrations 
may be of interest. Of the first class graduated, 1868, one, a 
lady, is still teaching. Of the second class, 1869, one; 1870, 
seven; 1871, three; 1872, five; 1873, five; 1874, eight, and 
most of these are continuous. I might go further, with a 
gradual increase in number as we get down later. This is a 
showing of which, I think, we may well be proud. 

Next, what has been the kind of teaching our graduates 
have given, and here I can only speak from reputation, and 
I do not happen to be the first one who has asked this ques- 
tion. A few years ago the Superintendent of Public Instruc- 
tion sent out a circular to the different School Commissioners 
in the State, asking them in substance to give the results of 
their experience in the employment of teachers with a Nor- 
mal School education in comparison with those without that 
training. The result was published in the Annual Report of 
the Superintendent, and in every instance, with perhaps one 
exception, the opinion was unequivocally expressed that the 
Normal students kept the best schools and procured the best 
situations. This is a practical answer to my query, for the 
training in all the schools is substantially the same. 

As an illustration of w T hat our graduates are doing I give 
the following list of positions which have been or are now 
occupied by our students, mentioning only those who are 
employed in Union Schools, or the higher institutions of 
learning, taking them in the order of graduation. Follow- 
ing this, I will mention those who, having finished their 
teaching, are now in the professions of law, medicine, or 
theology. 

First Teachers: 1867, the last class of the Brockport 
Collegiate Institute, Miss C. M. Chriswell, now Teacher of 
Grammar in this school ; Miss M. J. Thompson, now Teacher 
of Methods in this school; 1868, Miss C. Louise Fisk (now 
Mrs. Williams), Principal of the Primary Department in this 



13 

school; 1869, George D. Olds, became Professor of Mathe- 
matics in the University of Rochester, and now occupies a 
similar position in Amherst College; C. Herbert Silliman, 
Professor of Natural Sciences in the San Francisco High 
School ; Miss Harriet L. Gillette (now Mrs. H. W. Seymour), 
Principal of the Intermediate Department in this school ; 
1870, Martin L. Deyo, Professor of Mathematics in the 
Albany Academy ; Miss Francelia P. Wood, Preceptress in 
a High School in Morrison, 111.; Stephen D. Wilbur, School 
Commissioner of Broome Co.; Charles B. Fairchild, Teacher 
in Commercial Department in this school ; Miss J. E. Lowery, 
Teacher of Mathematics and Latin in this school ; 1871, John 
N. Milne, Principal of Geneseo Normal School; 1873, 
Andrew Y. Freeman, Principal of Practicing Department, 
Fredonia Normal School ; Miss Flora C. Willsea, Assistant 
in Academic Department in this school ; Miss Alice E. Bra- 
man, Principal of Primary Department in this school; 1874, 
John H. Sheldon, Principal of High School, Gowanda ; Chas. 
W. Smith, School Commissioner of Orleans Co. and Profes- 
sor of Mathematics in this school ; Miss Stella M. Harris 
(now Mrs. Wells), Principal of Primary Department in this 
school; 1875, Miss Thankful M. Knight, Preceptress and 
Teacher of Methods in Plattsburg Normal School ; Miner F. 
Miller, Principal of High School in Morrison, 111.; 1876, 
Charles E. Boss, Principal of High School, Plainfield, N. J.; 
Charles H. Holden, Principal of Ward School in New York 
city; Daniel Van Oryningham, School Commissioner of 
Wayne Co.; 1878, Miss Mary O. White, Critic in Intermedi- 
ate Department in this school ; Miss Jessie Hillman, Princi- 
pal of Music in Fredonia Normal School; 1879, Thomas A. 
Caswell, Superintendent of Schools, Little Falls, N. Y.; 
Arthur Tooley, Principal of Academic Department in this 
school; 1880, Edward J. Manley, Principal of Union School, 
Charlotte ; Miss Ellen F. Mason, Principal of Primary 
Department in this school; 1881, Ezra M. Sparlin, Principal 
of Ward School, Rochester; Frederick A.White, County 
Superintendent of Schools in the State of Washington ; 1882, 
Lewis E. Akley, Professor of Chemistry in Nebraska Uni- 



versity ; Edwin M. Crocker, Principal of Union School, 
Victor ; Wm. A. Scott, Professor of Political Economy, in 
University of Wisconsin, and Instructor in Johns Hopkins 
University ; 1883, Walter R. Betteridge, Instructor in 
Hebrew in Rochester Theological Seminary ; B. Franklin 
Cooley, Professor of Ancient Languages in Hoosick Falls 
Academy; Walter H. Comstock, Professor of High School 
in New Hampshire; 1884, James L. Herroun, Principal of 
High School, New London, Conn.; Herbert J. Pease, Prin- 
cipal of Advanced School, Utica ; 1885, Herbert G. Reed, 
Principal of Union School, Holley ; Storrs B. Barrett, Prin- 
cipal of High School, Wyoming, N. Y.; 1886, Miss Grace 
Betteridge, Teacher of Greek in the J. B. Stetson University, 
Deland, Florida; 1887, Nicholas Lee, Principal of Union 
School, Churchville ; 1888, Horace L. Clark, Principal of 
Union School, Shortsville ; Miss C. Leora Read, Preceptress 
Union School, Scottsville ; Chas. S. Williams, Principal of 
Union School, Livonia; 1889, Edwin M. Chase, Principal of 
Ward School, Binghamton ; Arthur C. Simmons, Principal 
of Union School, Middleport ; 1890, Thomas H. Armstrong, 
Principal of Union School, Andover, N. Y.; William D. 
Hewes, Professor in Academy, Peekskill, N. Y.; Miss Cora 
V. Luttenton, Preceptress in Academy, Pompey, N. Y.; Miss 
L. Virginia Chappell, Critic in Primary Department in this 
school; 1891, Miss Sarah J.Cook, Preceptress in Pompey 
Academy. 

One fact may be noticed in this list of what I may call the 
honor men and ladies. Of the number above recorded 39 
were graduated from the Classical Department of the Nor- 
mal School, 8 from the Advanced English, 4 from the 
Academic Department, 2 unclassified (Brockport Collegiate. 
Institute) and none from the Elementary English. This 
shows pretty conclusively that the higher the grade of 
diploma the better the situation obtained and school trustees 
and superintendents are beginning to look at the position 
held by the student in making their selections. It is not 
quite enough to have a Normal School diploma, and so long 
as grades are recognized the question will be asked : from 
which department were you graduated? 



15 

Second, It is not expected that every graduate will make 
teaching a permanent profession. It is natural, perhaps, for 
a majority to graduate a second time, and the second gradu- 
ation is into one of the professions of law, medicine or the- 
ology. Of those known to belong to those professions are 
the following : 

Law. — i87i, John D. Burns, Brockport ; Frank M. Goff, 
Rochester; Geo. F. Quinby, Buffalo; Geo. F. Yeoman, 
Rochester; 1872, Delbert A. Adams, Brockport; Win. 
Goodell, San Francisco, Cal.; 1874, G. Fort Slocum, Roches- 
ter; 1875, James M. Hunt, New York City; Harvey Isbell, 
Rochester ; Edward P. Lyons, New York City ; Charles H. 
Wiltsie, Rochester ; 1887, E. F. Wellington, Rochester ; 1878, 
Charles A. Widener, Rochester ; Harry O. Jones, Holley ; 
1880, George P. Decker, Rochester; 1881, Ronald McDon- 
ald, Tonawanda ; Herbert J. Menzie, Rochester; 1882, Wil- 
liam R. Wilcox, New York City; 1883, Joseph M. Allen, 
New York City ; 1884, Willard C. Earnsberger, New York 
City; 1889, Fred M. Ackerson, Buffalo; Willis A. Mattson, 
Brockport. 

Medicine. — 1871, A. Judson Osborn, Binghamton ; i872, 
Frank A. Winne, Brockport ; 1874, Willis A. Silliman, Clark- 
son ; 1875, Charles H. Glidden, Little Falls; 1877, Frederick 
East, Rochester; Edwin C. Loomis, Illinois; 1880, M. Eliza- 
beth Adams, New York City ; 1881, E. Adelia Cady, Roches- 
ter ; 1882, Frank B. Storer, Holley ; 1885, Willis N. Boynton, 
New York City. 

Theological.— 1869, Eben W. Hunt, Baptist, Iowa ; 1870, 
William H. Sybrant, Presbyterian, West Troy, N. Y.; James 
W. White, Presbyterian, near Chicago; 1871, John P. Cam- 
bell, Presbyterian, Baltimore; 1873, Henry C. Milliman, 
Methodist, Niagara County, N. Y.; 1876, William O. Forbes, 
Methodist, Ohio ; Lowell C. Smith, Baptist, Tompkins 
County, N. Y.; 1878, Frederick L. Forbes, Methodist, Ore- 
gon ; William D.Holt, Baptist, Cincinnati; 1880, Chas. H. 
Boynton, Episcopal, Geneseo ; 1882, George A. T. Eddy, 
Presbyterian, Cleveland; 1883, Walter R. Betteridge, Bap- 



i6 

tist, Professor in Theological Seminary, Rochester; 1884,. 
Henry Clarke, Baptist, New Jersey; 1885, G. Sherman Bur- 
rows, Episcopal, Gambier, Ohio; 1887, Myron S. Reed, 
Methodist, Allegany Co., N. Y. 

In addition I find 3 editors, viz.: Edward L. Adams, Elmira 
Advertiser, N. Y.; Clayton S. Scott, Tioga Count}' Record, 
Owego, N. Y.; and Charles F. Kingsley, Buffalo Enquirer, 
N. Y. 

And I should add among the honor men that of John D. 
Burns, of the class of 1871, Henry Harrison, of 1873, anc * 
Henry S. Madden, of 1875, are now distinguished members 
of the Local Board. 

NECROLOGICAL. — On an occasion like this my lists would 
be incomplete without a reference to the departed. Of our 
alumni the deceased number 24, two from the Academic 
Department and 22 from the Normal School, as follows : 
Class of 1870, Miss Mina A. Frye ; 1871, Miss Hattie A. Har- 
mon, Miss Harriet A. Kirby ; 1872, Charles F.Hamlin, Miss 
Frances T. Quinby; 1873, Henrie S. Bagely, Miss Emogene 
M. Coney, Miss Clara A. Van Buren, Miss Emma W. Hall, 
Miss Fanny Louise Richardson; 1874, Laverne B. Wycoff ; 
1876, Miss Clara S. White ; 1877, Miss Harriet L. Cady ; 1876, 
Miss Mary E. Manning, Miss Sarah L. Marsh; 1880, Willis 
E. Miner; 1881, Miss Lulu R. Strickland; 1882, Miss Mary 
A. Cole; 1883, Robert J. Oliver; T884, Miss Flora J. Owen ; 
1885, Miss Hannah A. Wright; 1888, Miss Gertrude A. Hoi- 
brook, Miss Adolphine J. Wald ; 1891, Charles D. Carr. 

This concludes my catalogue of names, in which I am 
afraid there are many omissions. It is impossible to mention 
all, although all have done well, and I will leave it for my 
successor, 25 years hence, to supply my deficiencies. 

Daniel Holmes. 



022 152 634 A 




